Toilet rolls and painkillers are some of items Britons have started to stockpile ahead of a potential no-deal Brexit, supermarket Morrisons said on Wednesday.

Chief executive David Potts said there were signs of a "small amount" of stockpiling and that Morrisons, Britain's fourth-biggest supermarket group, was well prepared whatever happened in the Brexit process.

Brexit Concerns

With just 16 days to go until it is due to leave the European Union, Britain has still not agreed a withdrawal arrangement, raising the risk of a disorderly "no-deal" Brexit.

"We've seen quite a tick-up in painkillers and toilet rolls (sales) ... up high single digits," Potts told reporters.

"In the event of things getting sticky at the ports, we'd look for alternative routes into the country," he added, saying the company had obtained Authorised Economic Operator status, which should speed-up border checks in the event of hold-ups.

Potts also said the firm had brought forward some purchases of goods and packaging materials to support its manufacturing division, and stockpiled popular "cupboard fillers".

News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.